The Marketing Week

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

Southern Comfort

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMEsC0oUsgQ

Southern Comfort’s laid back advertising style has warmed the cockles of consumers over the past few years, peaking perhaps with the 2012 “Whatever’s Comfortable” beach ad. But move over casual, speedo-wearing, pot-bellied brand ambassador, there’s a new star at the centre of the brand’s advertising: a Napoleon Dynamite-esque nerdy bartender with some epic dance moves. Southern Comfort says the aim of the ad is to break away” from the premiumisation the spirits category has come to be associated for, with a more light-hearted take.

GOOD WEEK FOR…

Marketers at Cannes

The sun was shining and so were the hundreds of marketers in attendance at this years Cannes Lions Festival – at least early on in the week. Marketers were treated to parties galore from the likes of Spotify, Microsoft, Twitter and MailOnline to toast the success of the marketing, media and advertising industries. Big winners included Harvey Nichols for its “Sorry, I spent it on myself” Christmas ad, British Airways’ “Magic of Flying” and Lego for its ITV Lego Movie ad break.

BAD WEEK FOR…

Native advertising

The ASA made a “precedent setting” ruling against the content recommendation platform Outbrain – which serves paid-for related articles across a range of news sites including The Telegraph, CNN and the Guardian – a judgment that could set the bar for how native advertising is labelled on the web and potentially affect engagement rates. The ad watchdog ruled that such ads should be labelled as “sponsored” or “promoted” to prevent misleading consumers.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Japanese travel chiefs use Kit Kats as train tickets in tourism push

The chocolate bar, known in Japan for unusual flavours such as edamame soybean, purple sweet potato and even pizza, is giving fans a new way to enjoy it. Starting this month travellers on one of the country’s railway networks can use Kit Kat packaging as tickets. The packs, which cost less than a standard fare, aim to boost tourism in the northern province in the wake of an earthquake in 2011.

Jamba Juice teams with YouTube for dance competition

US smoothie chain Jamba Juice is asking fans to send YouTube videos of themselves strutting their stuff for the chance to win various prizes. The contest is promoting the brand’s latest range of vegetable smoothies, which provide an energy shot. It aims to highlight the energy and health credentials the drinks offer in the face of growing doubts from consumers about how healthy high-fructose smoothies actually are.

ONES TO WATCH

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has launched its first standalone job search app. The professional social network promises that everything users do within the app will be “completely private” and not shared with their network, perfect for wistful job hunters researching their climb up to the next rung of the career ladder without their boss noticing. The launch could also be good news for brands looking to more overtly recruit the best talent.

Apple iWatch – finally launching in October?

Reuters reports that Apple’s iWatch will go into production in July, with a planned release date of October. Apple’s first foray into wearable tech will feature a 2.5-inch screen, touch interface and wireless charging, the report suggests. The power of the Apple brand and its reputation for innovation should see the company shift tens of millions of units and offer marketers a new, very personal media platform to explore.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

@smcdoyle – social media strategist at Essence on marketing jargon entering the everyday lexicon
Just caught myself typing the word “shoppable” *facepalm* This industry will be the ruin of me.

@creature_dan – managing partner of Creature on embodying the true spirit of the Cannes Lions festival
Come on, you fucks. Invite me to stuff. I can’t do ALL the work. (I am doing no work.) #CannesLions

@RobertpHaslam – PR manager at Mubaloo on the Amazon Fire phone
Everyone I know who bought the Kindle Fire HD has ended up selling it and bought an iPad. The Fire phone, meh. Gimmick.

@ChrisNeeFC – Adidas Global Football editor at We Are Social on O2’s Be More Dog campaign
Congratulations, O2. You’ve succeeded in making me want to punch a cat in the face.